What has the South Pole Telescope found?
The galaxy cluster was discovered some 5.7 billion light years from Earth by the 10-meter wide South Pole Telescope (SPT) located at NSF’s Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station in Antarctica, which is funded by NSF’s Office of Polar Programs.
Is there a telescope at the South Pole?
Located at the National Science Foundation’s Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, the South Pole Telescope is funded and maintained by the National Science Foundation in its role as manager of the U.S. Antarctic Program, the national program of research on the southernmost continent.
What is the South Pole Telescope used for?
Breadcrumb. The South Pole Telescope (SPT) is a submillimeter observatory in Antarctica that performs measurements of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) and the dark energy driving the acceleration of the expansion of the universe.
Is there a telescope in Antarctica?
The South Pole Telescope (SPT) is a 10-metre (390 in) diameter telescope located at the Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station, Antarctica.
Where is South Pole Telescope located?
Antarctic plateau
The South Pole Observatory (SPO) is located at the geographic South Pole on the Antarctic plateau at an elevation of 2837 m above sea level. The South Pole Observatory was established at the geographical South Pole in 1957 as part of the International Geophysical Year.
How much did the South Pole telescope cost?
$19.2 million
The $19.2 million telescope was funded primarily by the National Science Foundation (NSF), with additional support from the Kavli Foundation of Oxnard, Calif., and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation of San Francisco.
Why is Antarctica the best place for a telescope?
In general, the Antarctic has the potential for better seeing, owing to weaker turbulence in the free atmosphere, with an estimated range of 0.23 to 0.36 arcseconds at a location called Dome C. Ma, Hickson and colleagues in China and Australia evaluated a different location, Dome A — also referred to as Dome Argus.
Can you see space from Antarctica?
The South Pole Is a Great Place to View Space. Star trails seen during the Antarctic winter over the Harker Glacier on the island of South Georgia.
What can you see in the sky at the South Pole?
The Milky Way at the South Pole is incredible, with the central core and Scorpius rising from the horizon. The southern cross overhead with the large and small Magellanic clouds, dwarf galaxies captured by our own Milky Way galaxy, clearly visible and glowing blue with the birth of new stars.
Who funded the South Pole telescope?
the National Science Foundation (NSF)
Can you see the Milky Way from the South Pole?
Can you see the Milky Way in Antarctica?
Antarctica offers some pretty spectacular views of the night sky, like this image of the Milky Way taken on the Antarctic Peninsula.
Why are there no satellite images of Antarctica?
Because of the location of Antarctica and because the rest of the year there isn’t enough sunlight at the poles for the satellites to see the land, images can only be taken from December through March, the summer season.
Why is Antarctica turning red?
It’s caused by algae, which changes from green to scarlet as temperatures rise. As the snow loses its pristine white color, it absorbs more heat, threatening to create a “warming loop.” But the news is not all negative. Another change that warmer weather has caused is the flourishing of a colony of penguins.
Is the Milky Way visible from Antarctica?
Does the South Pole have aurora?
The north pole aurora is called the aurora borealis and the aurora at the south pole is called the aurora australis.
Does Antarctica have an airport?
Transport in Antarctica takes place by air, using fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. Runways and helicopter pads have to be kept snow-free to ensure safe take off and landing conditions. Antarctica has 20 airports, but there are no developed public-access airports or landing facilities.
Is there stars in Antarctica?
Stars viewed from a place called Dome A in Antarctica can finally be seen without their twinkle – which means in much greater detail. The South Pole Telescope at the US Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, with a bright aurora in July 2020.
Can you see the North Star from Antarctica?
The Antarctic sky is quite different from the one we know in the Northern Hemisphere. The Big Dipper and the North Star are not visible from there.
Does Antarctica have population?
Antarctica is a unique continent in that it does not have a native population. There are no countries in Antarctica, although seven nations claim different parts of it: New Zealand, Australia, France, Norway, the United Kingdom, Chile, and Argentina.
Why are you not allowed to visit Antarctica?
Due to harsh conditions, extreme weather and no permanent population on the continent there are no regular passenger flights to Antarctica. Most flights transport research personnel and supply the bases. The lack of infrastructure makes it difficult to recover a stranded aircraft in case of an emergency.
Why dont we fly over the South Pole?
Antarctica has no flight paths due to weather conditions and no infrastructure to assist with landing anywhere on the continent.
What is the population of Antarctica?
The population of Antarctica
In the summer, the continent has a population of around 5000 people but during the winter this number is reduced to roughly a fourth with 1000 people. The inhabitants are mainly based on research stations with the McMurdo Station as the largest.
Is there any animals in Antarctica?
Antarctica’s wildlife is diverse and unique. It is the only continent on Earth which has no terrestrial mammals, but is home to a range of marine wildlife and birds, including penguins! The most common birds in Antarctica are penguins. It is home to 18 different species, including the Emperor Penguin.
How many days of daylight does Antarctica get?
Antarctica has six months of daylight in its summer and six months of darkness in its winter. The seasons are caused by the tilt of Earth’s axis in relation to the sun. The direction of the tilt never changes. But as the Earth orbits the sun, different parts of the planet are exposed to direct sunlight.